Tish James Announces Run For Attorney General

Public Advocate Letitia "Tish" James announced her campaign for NY attorney general Wednesday afternoon in Brooklyn.

James did not put her name in to be considered by the State Legislature to carry out the rest of the term of disgraced former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who left the position on May 7 after a New Yorker article alleged that he physically assaulted four women.

"The law should be an instrument for change", James said. If elected, she would become the first Black woman to win statewide elected office in NY. But James, a former assistant attorney general and ex-public defender, withdrew her name from consideration. "I will take on special interests who seek to destroy our families and our communities", she continued.

We find ourselves in a precarious time in this country -our federal government is using the law as a tool to attack so many groups of people.

"I will take on ICE agents who seek to rip families apart", she tweeted, a reference to Trump's policies of strengthening immigration enforcement.

Manhattan Democratic Party County Chair Keith Wright said that James possessed all of the characteristics to become the next state attorney general.

James joins a clan of potential candidates that include former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, New York State Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell, former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, former state gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout and New York State Sen., Michael Gianaris.

"Initially, what you want to do, especially on the Democrat side, is pick a candidate that can get elected on their own", said Wright. Downstate. She's a Black woman who's been elected twice by voters in the City of NY. James told supporters she would stand up against corruption in Albany and "the powers that be in Washington". Bertha Lewis, president and founder of the Black Leadership Action Coalition, said that James has all the attributes of a potentially successful state attorney general.

Though she is now the front-runner, the 59-year-old is in for a fight.

If elected, she said, her tenure would focus on enforcing laws relating to voting, the environment, consumers and civil rights. We've supported her in her run for City Council and public advocate, and now we are tremendously happy to support her in her run for attorney general.